Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1593 [c.1593-1594] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men (?) unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
Cease to lament for that thou canst not help, And study help for that which thou lamentest, Time is the Nurse, and breeder of all good; Here, if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love: Besides, thy staying will abridge thy life: Hope is a lover's staff, walk hence with that And manage it, against despairing thoughts: Thy letters may be here, though thou art hence, Which, being writ to me, shall be delivered Even in the milk-white bosom of thy Love.. The time now serves not to expostulate, Come, I'll convey thee through the City-gate. And ere I part with thee, confer at large Of all that may concern thy Love-affairs: As thou lov'st Silvia (though not for thyself) Regard thy danger, and along with me. I pray thee Lance, and if thou seest my Boy Bid him make haste, and meet me at the Northgate. Go sirrah, find him out: Come Valentine. Oh my dear Silvia; hapless Valentine. I am but a fool, look you, and yet I have the wit to think my Master is a kind of a knave: but that's all one, if he be but one knave: He lives not now that knows me to be in love, yet I am in love, but a Teem of horse shall not pluck that from me: nor who 'tis I love: and yet 'tis a woman; but what woman, I will not tell myself: and yet 'tis a Milkmaid: yet 'tis not a maid: for she hath had Gossips: yet 'tis a maid, for she is her Master's maid, and serves for wages. She hath more qualities than a Water-spaniel, which is much in a bare Christian: here is the Cate-log of her Condition. Inprimis. She can fetch and carry: why a horse can do no more; nay, a horse cannot fetch, but only carry, therefore is she better than a jade. Item. She can milk, look you, a sweet virtue in a maid with clean hands. How now Signior Lance? what news with your Mastership? With my Mastership? why, it is at Sea: Well, your old vice still: mistake the word: what news then in your paper? The blackest news that ever thou heard'st. Why man? how black? Why, as black as Ink. Let me read them? Fie on thee jolt-head, thou canst not read. Thou liest: I can. I will try thee: tell me this: who begot thee? Marry, the son of my Grandfather. Oh illiterate loiterer; it was the son of thy Grandmother: this proves that thou canst not read. Come fool, come: try me in thy paper. There: and S. Nicholas be thy speed. Inprimis she can milk. I that she can. Item, she brews good Ale. And thereof comes the proverb: (Blessing of your heart, you brew good Ale.) Item, she can sow. That's as much as to say (Can she so?) Item she can knit. What need a man care for a stock with a wench, When she can knit him a stock?
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Ceaſe to lament for that thou canſt not helpe, And ſtudy helpe for that which thou lament'ſt, Time is the Nurſe, and breeder of all good; Here, if thou ſtay, thou canſt not ſee thy loue: Beſides, thy ſtaying will abridge thy life: Hope is a louers ſtaffe, walke hence with that And manage it, againſt deſpairing thoughts: Thy letters may be here, though thou art hence, Which, being writ to me, ſhall be deliuer'd Euen in the milke-white boſome of thy Loue. The time now ſerues not to expoſtulate, Come, Ile conuey thee through the City-gate. And ere I part with thee, confer at large Of all that may concerne thy Loue-affaires: As thou lou'ſt Siluia (though not for thy ſelfe) Regard thy danger, and along with me. I pray thee Launce, and if thou ſeeſt my Boy Bid him make haſte, and meet me at the North-gate. Goe ſirha, finde him out: Come Ʋalentine. Oh my deere Siluia; hapleſſe Valentine. I am but a foole, looke you, and yet I haue the wit to thinke my Maſter is a kinde of a knaue: but that's all one, if he be but one knaue: He liues not now that knowes me to be in loue, yet I am in loue, but a Teeme of horſe ſhall not plucke that from me: nor who 'tis I loue: and yet 'tis a woman; but what woman, I will not tell my ſelfe: and yet 'tis a Milke-maid: yet 'tis not a maid: for ſhee hath had Goſſips: yet 'tis a maid, for ſhe is her Maſters maid, and ſerues for wages. Shee hath more qualities then a Water-Spaniell, which is much in a bare Chriſtian: Heere is the Cate-log of her Condition. Inprimis. Shee can fetch and carry: why a horſe can doe no more; nay, a horſe cannot fetch, but onely carry, therefore is ſhee better then a Iade. Item. She can milke, looke you, a ſweet vertue in a maid with cleane hands. How now Signior Launce? what newes with your Maſterſhip? With my Maſterſhip? why, it is at Sea: Well, your old vice ſtill: miſtake the word: what newes then in your paper? The black'ſt newes that euer thou heard'ſt. Why man? how blacke? Why, as blacke as Inke. Let me read them? Fie on thee Iolt-head, thou canſt not read. Thou lyeſt: I can. I will try thee: tell me this: who begot thee? Marry, the ſon of my Grand-father. Oh illiterate loyterer▪ it was the ſonne of thy Grand-mother: this proues that thou canſt not read. Come foole, come: try me in thy paper. There: and S. Nicholas be thy ſpeed. Inprimis ſhe can milke. I that ſhe can. Item, ſhe brewes good Ale. And thereof comes the prouerbe: (Bleſſing of your heart, you brew good Ale.) Item, ſhe can ſowe. That's as much as to ſay (Can ſhe ſo?) Item ſhe can knit. What neede a man care for a ſtock with a wench, When ſhe can knit him a ſtocke?